The government will take a strong stance against misinformation and disinformation in the media and will not allow any photocards created using false information, said Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman.

He made the remarks at a press conference held at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) on Tuesday.

He said under a government programme, canals covering a total of 1,260 kilometres have been included, of which 561 kilometres have been excavated so far, marking a progress rate of 44.55 percent. “This means nearly half of the canals under the programme,” he said.

“However, a photocard was created claiming that I said half of the country’s canals have already been excavated. This was not done by an anonymous source but by a well-known national daily,” he added.

The adviser said fact-checkers have already debunked the claim as disinformation. “We must be serious about misinformation and disinformation. The government will not tolerate this—from any side. There is a significant difference between an individual spreading such content and an institution doing so,” he said.

Addressing journalists, he urged, “I request you to ensure that journalism remains journalism.”

“There are many areas where the government can be criticised. Bangladesh is a large and complex country. Even with maximum effort, there will be shortcomings. Genuine criticism is welcome,” he said.

He added that the government wants to remain accountable to the media until the last day of its tenure.

“I want to see more criticism of the government in the media—logical and constructive criticism that makes the environment vibrant. But please, no misinformation or disinformation,” he said.